Book Recs Please!

[NitaX]

So, like a good American, I'm sitting around watching the History Channel's 9/11 specials. I even had the 9 yr old watching because she had so many questions about what I was doing, what happened, and the most important question - why would they want to blow up a building with innocent people.

At any rate, between the 9/11 specials and the Israel post below, I need a few good books on the background - the rise of the Taliban type stuff. Anyone have some good books on this? And bonus for any other world affairs book that sets the stage for where we are right now - Arab Spring, etc.

[basilosaurus]

Shoot, H would know, but he's not around for another few weeks.

2 books that are probably more general/older than you want, but that he's told me I should read are Pentagon's New Map and Chasing the Flame.

[Deleted]

I don't know if this is what you're looking for but I found Curveball interesting
www.randomhouse.com/book/42936/curveball-by-bob-drogin

[summer]

Beyond Fundamentalism by Reza Aslan

[katietornado]

A great book on a related topic is Disarming Iraq by Hans Blix. I read it for a class on Middle Eastern politics my senior year of college and it was 100% fascinating.

[Deleted]

The 9/11 report itself is a fascinating read.

[NitaX]

Sept 12, 2012 0:40:04 GMT -5 summer said:

Beyond Fundamentalism by Reza Aslan

Summer -
This might be exactly what I'm looking for. I love this line from the preview:
How do you win a religious war? By refusing to fight in one.

I very much feel this way. Just from my general knowledge, years, and years of religious fighting can't be solved. 11 years after 9/11 we're still in the same region. How long will we stay there?

Thanks Sibil & Katietonrado - I'll have to check those out. Curveball looks interesting, so I'll add it to the immediate read list.